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My 

Philosophy 
of Life 




POEMS 



BY 



CORNELIUS EDWIN WALKER 



TWENTY-FIVE CENTS 



CHICAGO 




Mrs, Merlie E. Walker 




Rev. C. E. Walker, D. I>. 



Price T\^enty-Five Cents 



INSPIRING VERSE 
Conveying Hints 

On My 

Philosophy 

of Life 

"Ich Dien" 
Cornelius Ed'H^in Walker 

SOMETIME 

President of Central College 

and 

Professor of Belles Letters, Ethics 

and 
Philosophy 

1915 
CHICAGO 

STEINWAY HALL 



TO MERTIE EUNICE HAWES 
MY DEVOTED WIFE 

Whose Loving Encouragement 

Has Kept My Pen Busy 

Urging Upon My Fellows 

A More Earnest Life 

C. E. W. 



BY THE SAME AUTHOR 

'Words of Wisdom to the Married" 
"Our Wedding" Wreath" 
- "True Manliness" 
"The Psychology of Success" 



These Poems having- appeared in THE LYCEUM 

WORLD, permission lo publish in this form 

has been very kindly granted by Dr. 

A. E, Gringie, The Editor, and 

g"ratitude therefor is 
hereby ex- 

pressed 



•jA 



^ Of" 



COPYRIGHTED 1915 

By C. E. Walker 

Made in U. S. A. 

©CI.A416212 



m 741915 



J 



ASPIRATION A PROPHECY 



Dedicated to Rev. Barend 
H. Kroeze, D. D. 
(President Jamestown College) 



Command your reserve powers 

To come into the light 
And use your passing hours 

To build a man of might; 
To man there is no limit 

(As far as he can see): 
The soul has that within it 

A limitless man to be. 

Man has potential power 

To reach to any height, 
And only stops at lower _ 

Because unknown his might; 
He may not reach the summit 

As God the summit sees, 
But his own aspiration 

Can reach whatever it please. 

God gave man one condition 

To prompt him to rise higher- 
An in-born true ambition, 

A holy inner fire 
To glow and light the path-way 

To higher heights, — and on 
Through every sort of hindrance 

To welcome victory won. 

Just take that aspiration 

As prophecy come true; 
Court e'er your own ambition 

As to what you ought to do; 
Your longings are prophetic 

Of God's real working plan 
To lead you to achievement — 

To make a manly man. 



A NORMAL LIFK 

Dedicated to Rev. E. R. Welch 



Give me health to furnish vigor, 
Force for service in large store, 

Then Fll work though taxed with rigor. 
And by service grow the more. 

2. 

Body, mind and soul e'er -splendid. 
Aiming thus for true success, 

Then when life with tasks is ended 
Heaven's gates will ope to bless. 



Great reward for earth's commotion 
Is the growth, the expanse of soul, 

Which results from faith's devotion 
In the making earth-life whole. 

4. 

Then with soul-life's full expansion, — 
Room for joy and peace and love, — 

This makes earth as 't were extension 
Of the heavenly realm above; 

5. 

Heaven come down to earth with blessing 

For the soul unfolded here, 
All the life its aim expressing; 

Heaven 's here or anywhere. 



THE TRIUTMPHANT LIFE 

Dedicated to 

Kev. Thomas J. Sanders, Ph. D., L L. D. 

Hulitt Professor of Philosophy, 

Otterbein University 



I 

Onward, right onward to mountain top, 
Whatever the hindrance we may not stop; 
"Whatever 's before us the view is clear. 
Whatever the burden the help is near; 
'The vision 's within us, the help at hand, 
For all needed force is at our command; 
If only to conscience and God we're true 
There's nothing too great for us to do. 

II 

Then onward and upward with steady flight; 
The goal and the glory are full in sight. 
We've only to beleve to make it true; 
We've only to trust and dare to do. 
The victory is with us, e'en in us all, 
And nothing can hinder or make us fall 
If settled at first that to the end 
The truth and right we will defend. 

Ill 

Then forth to success we sing and fly 
With our faith in God who cannot lie; 
To glorious triumph we surely come 
And enter the gate of heaven our home; 
But heaven alone is not our goal, — 
The purpose of life is to expand the -soul; 
For tasks and toil in a world of strife 
Serve but to strengthen and prove our life. 

IV 

This fits for service of field on high 

By proving our worth before we die; 

For struggles and strife in earthly sphere 

Tend to eliminate doubt and fear. 

And make of death an open door 

Into a world where we'll live the more 

For having lived a life of love 

That flowers on earth and fruits above. 



THERE'S LIGHT BEHIND THE CLOUDS 

Dedicated to Baby Margaret Wheeler 



1. 

As near the window here I write 

And watch the clouds go flitting by. 

Anon the sun's rays beam so bright, 
Reminding of life's broken sky. 



2. 

Sometimes a dark and threatening storm 
Is lianging o'er your head and mine, — 

We shrink with fear, we take alarm; — 
'Twill surely crush us in its line. 



3. 

Just as we think the danger nears 
And we 'er about to hide away 

The storm is gone, — the sun appears, — 
And life is hopeful, bright and gay. 



4. 

Then as the sun's bright rays do gleam 
Just after clouds so dark and drear, 

So life's uneven course may seem — 
A repetition — dark then clear. 



5. 

When you're bowed down in grief and gloom 
And everything seems lost and sad, 

Remember this: What'er may come 
The good will always chase the bad. 



I WILL: THEREFORE I CAN 

Dedicated to Jonathan Rigdon, Ph. D. 
(President Winona College) 



I 
I Will is a spirit that nothing can daunt, 
Believing that surely the thing that you want 
Is ever at hand for him who says Will, 
Not waiting or iiot'ring at foot of the hill, 
But onward and upward to aim without stop; 
There's nothing to hinder this side of the top 
Of manly ambition, of honorable goal; 
I Will gives the vict'ry to man with a soul. 

II 

Thus joy fills the man when he works with a Will; 
No matter how difficult, he 's at it still 
Until every hindrance he meets shall give way; 
To work he goes cheerful as boy when at play. 
So life is e'er joyful to such a strong man 
Whose Will is the power by which he says Can; 
With force e'er to conquer the difficult things 
He ever mounts higher; he walks as with wings. 

Ill 

The man who has faith in his mission on earth 
Is truly light-hearted, is buoyant with mirth; 
He sits not complaining, bemoaning his fate; 
He does not go whining, or limping, or wait, 
But plunges headlong into tasks as they 're given, 
Believing that earth is a part of his heaven; 
Full knowing that Will is the basis for Can 
He works out God's Will as a dutiful man. 



TRIBUTE TO MANHOOD. 

Dedicated to Miss Esther McRuer 



it is grand to shake hands with the heart; 

It is noble to cherish a friend, 
To keep all one's friends from the start. 

And serve them in love to the end. 



Thi'S world doth need more of such men 
To aid it along on life's road, 

For all the way long and again 
They help us to lighten the load. 



We often have known of this kind, 
The m.en, who are trustworthy, sure; 

But never indeed will you find 
A truer than Duncan McRuer. 



THE WHOLE MAN. 

Dedicated to 
Prof. Wm. B. Thomas, A. M. 

1. 

Within a healthy body 

An awakened soul 
Guided by volition, 

Reaching for life's goal; 
Goal of life is victory 

Over self and sin, 
With God's plan — redemption — 

Evermore within. 

2. 

For the true redemption 

Is expanse of soul. 
Not a far-off heaven — 

Geographic goal — ; 
Truth and joy and beauty 

Entering into life. 
Helping meet one's duty, 

Overcoming strife. 



Keeping body healthful. 

Keeping happy mind, 
Rendering manly service. 

Helping others find 
Path of truth and duty 

Through an open door, 
IManifesting beauty, 

Serving evermore. 



Utilizing service 

As a means of grace, 
Growing by the serving — 

Any time and place — 
Ever keeping, ever. 

Truth and right in view, 
Acts to live forever; 

Nothing else to do 

5. 

But to make expansion 

For one's "living soul," 
Getting all rewarding 

Just in being whole. 
'Tis the doing, living, 

Growing as a man 
Service freely giving 

Consummates God's plan; 

6. 

Plan for growth in service, 

For expanding soul. 
Just to render helpful 

That which makes one whole; 
Wholly worth the living, 

Living wholly true. 
Self in service giving 

Heaven's work to do. 

7. 

All the work of heaven, 

All the work of earth 
Is to make our living 

Matter of man's worth; 
Worth while for the body 

Temple of the soul, 
Worth while all the powers 

Making man a whole. 



8. 

Wholly made in image 

And in likeness too 
Of the God who made us 

With this end in view; 
Godly man or woman 

As a "living soul," 
Angel-type, or human. 

Altogether whole. 



AMBITION. 

Dedicated to Prof. Rob't. F. Downs. 



1. 

Ambition! what a splendid word, 

When rightly understood; 
When in a noble heart it's stirred 

To act for common good; 
When prompting all the man within 

To push, or pull, or plan, — 
Thus conquering all alluring sin — 

In making nobler man. 

2. 

A man without ambition's aid 

Overcoming hindering strife 
Will fall far short for what he's made;- 

He'll lack the earnest life. 
Ambition's light to show the road 

To higher, better things, 
Enables man to bear his load; 

To burdens it gives wings. 

3. 

Then cherish all the heartfull hope, 

The strong prophetic fire 
That aids a man with life to cope. 

Thus rising ever higher. 
Ambition is prophetic, quite. 

As to what a man should be; 
Upon his path it throws a. light 

Enabling goal to see. 



TRUE EXALTATION. 

Dedicated to Dr. Arthur E. Cringle, 
Editor Lyceum World. 



My soul v/ould rise higher 

Tlie vales to look o'er, 
To heaven be nigher 

Than ever before; 
Yet not to live higher 

Than where duty lies, 
But bring heaven nigher 

Than space in the skies; 

II 

To catch inspiration 

For duty assigned, 
With true aspiration 

Leave weakness behind; 
And feeling the glory 

Of heaven above, 
Tell the sweet story 

Of brotherly love. 

Ill 

My soul v/ould rise higher 

In scaling the heights. 
To catch heaven's fire 

The source of delights 
That serve as pure leaven 

To help us to rise. 
And bring to all heaven 

From space in the skies. 

IV 

The heaven 's within us 

When soul is aglow. 
Its work will begin as 

These truths we shall know: 
That life lived for others 

Is living indeed, 
And all men are brothers 

According to need. 



V 
The haes of real beauty,. 

The tone of the song, 
These help one in duty 

Through days that are long; 
I still would rise higher 

My tasks to look o'er 
And bring heaven nigher 

Than e'er 'twas before; 

VI 

But not to forget that 

My. work is below. 
And only to catch it, — 

The heavenly glow; — 
The glow that has tinted 

The blooms by the way. 
The soul's inspiration 

To brighten the day. 

VII 

My soul's aspiration 

Is li fling, has power; 
The real consecration 

That sweetens the hour 
And makes life V\^orth living — 

For others I live — 
Is spirit forgiving 

And service to give. 



SPEAK KINDLY TO THE CHILD. 

Dedicated to Baby Lillian Andersen 



I 

Speak kindly as you pass 

That mother's darling child; 
The crowds rush by en masse, 

Neglecting to be mild; 
They therefore "pull and haul" 

And trample on the tots, 
And many a child will fall 

Because the crowds lack thoughts. 



II 

The child just needs a hand 

To help it o'er the stone 
Yv'hich blocks the path o'er land 

Where it must tread alone; 
Will you then try to aid 

Some passing- girl and boy? 
A.nd lead them through the glade 

Where flow full streams of joy? 

in 

Then speak kind words today 

To boys and girls you meet, 
And lead through life's safe way 

Amidst the crowded street; 
Make touch and voice and life 

So full of help and cheer 
That thwart their ills and strife 

And bring their heaven near. 

IV 

Thus give your life a touch 

Of heaven's sacred good. 
By giving to all such 

As need our Brotherhood, 
A song in work and play 

From earnest loving heart, 
To make their life e'er gay; 

This is the manly part. 

V 

Thus life, your own, is sweet, 

And others' lives made full; 
And many a smile you meet 

As up life's hill you pull 
The load to you made fast, 

The burdens you may bear, 
Will prove when life is past 

The answer to your prayer. 

VI 

The heavenly words "Well done" 

Will greet your yearning soul. 
And you'll be not alone 

When you have reached the goal; 
There'll be the souls you've led 

By words you've spoken kind, 
By truth and light you've shed 

From hand and heart and mind. 



VII 
The boys and girls your smile 

Has helped o'er rugged hill 
Will meet you there the while 

And greet you with a will; 
They'll ask our Father kind 

To crown you with His love, 
And then we all shall find 

Kind words do lead above. 



SPEAK KIND WORDS TODAY. 

Dedicated to Rev. R. B. Walker 



I. 

There's trouble and worry, 

Imagined, and true; 
Some people are sorry, 

And others are "blue"; 
Your life has a mission 

In passing this way; 
I ask you to listen: — 

Speak kind words today. 

II. 

Tomorrow a Brother 

May anxiously wait, 
While looking for other 

To open the gate 
Into land bright and cheery. 

With blooms by the way; 
Just make him feel merry — 

Speak kind words today. 

III. 

It helps us amazizng 

If helpful we be; 
And we are the gainers 

When hearts are aglee 
With songs of good purpose 

To brighten the way 
Along which we're passing :- 

Speak kind words today. 



HE CAN WHO WILLS 

Dedicated to my friend, Mr. A. J. Hole 



1 
I WILL is the power 

That makes the mill go; 
It makes the brute cower, 

It conquers the foe. 

2 

I CAN is a brother 

Consorting with WILL; 

They each aid the other 
In climbing the hill. 

3 
The man of the hour 

Is he who says "CAN," 
Uniting in power 

The WILL of the man. 

4 
With WILL on my banner. 

My heart all a-thrill, 
I do not ask, "CAN I?" 

I CAN if I WILL. 



A BOY'S BOUNDING LIFE. 

Dedicated to Billy Morrell 



Life is a jingle 

To many a boy 
His blood all a tingle, 

His soul filled with joy; 
And then because living 

To him is just fun 
His energies giving 

His life a swift run , 

He's romping and racing 

Because he can't stop; 
O'er hill-top he's pacing — 

He's reaching the top 
Of boy's aspirations 

With up-lift as wings; 
The way between stations 

He whistles and sings 



He sing'S 'cause he's happy. 

His life is all cheer. 
He never gets gloomy — 

He'll never appear 
As boy that goes whining 

Because he has work; 
His face keeps on shining, 

He never will shirk. 

His tasks make him joyful — 

There's just enough strife 
To call forth the boy full 

Of rich bounding life; 
His heart all abounding 

With glee and good will, 
His manhood is rounding 

The top of the hill. 



WANTED— A MAN 



Medicated to 'Ihomas Houston 



Be up and a doing- 
By early daylight, 

Your power accruing 
A man of true might. 



The world is a waiting 
For you to come by, 

Its work with v ou mating- 
If task you will try. 



'Tis large undertaking 
To tackle the task. 

But manhood in making- 
Is all that we ask. 



\A/YNNEWOOD N E \A/ ERA 
POWE R PRESS 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



018 360 443 



